The ‘fairy tale’ Neuschwanstein Castle in Fuessen, the German state of Bavaria. (JG Photo/Erwida Maulia)

Unlike Paris, London or Venice, the name Fuessen hardly appeals to Europe-bound Indonesian travelers. But the small German town in the shadow of the Alps has long drawn tourists from all over the world; most arrive for the “fairy tale” Neuschwanstein Castle and others for its stunning natural adventures.

Fuessen, a municipality of 14,000 people in the German state of Bavaria, is the main base for tourists who come to take a closer look at Neuschwanstein Castle (Schloss Neuschwanstein in German), the main inspiration for Disneyland’s Sleeping Beauty castle.

The majestic structure, with its soaring towers, is situated on a rugged hill in the middle of a breathtaking mountainous panorama — just above the village of Hohenschwangau, approximately 5 kilometers from the town center of Fuessen.

A bus serving the Fuessen train station-Hohenschwangau route runs several times every hour from morning till evening, but a nice hiking trail with very helpful signposts is also an option for those who prefer walking or riding a bike while enjoying the trail’s beautiful scenery.

I rented a bike for 10 euros ($13), for 24 hours. It took me about 15 minutes to travel toward Hohenschwangau, where I parked my bike as the only road uphill to the castle was much too steep to ride.

Vehicles are not allowed to run on the road, so most visitors do the at least 40-minute walk up to the castle, while others hire the service of horse-drawn carriages. There’s also a bus service using a different route that brings you close to the Marienbruecke bridge above the castle. People go to this bridge to get snapshots of the magnificent building’s entire length.

Fuessen’s main street. (JG Photo/Erwida Maulia)

Neuschwanstein — literally meaning “new swan stone”— was built in the 19th century but boasts a medieval theme as King Ludwig II of Bavaria (1845-86), who ordered its construction, wanted the structure to be “in the authentic style of the old German knights’ castles.”

“I must confess to you that I am looking forward very much to living there one day … The location is one of the most beautiful to be found, holy and unapproachable,” Ludwig wrote to German composer Richard Wagner, whom he greatly admired and sought to host in the castle.

But Wagner died in 1883 before he could set foot in the building.

Ludwig himself only lived there for a total of 172 days before he was deposed in early June 1886 on allegations of insanity. He died a few days later under mysterious circumstances.

His insistence to continue his castle projects (including two others than Neuschwanstein), despite his subsequent accumulation of debt coupled with his growing indifference with state affairs, had been cited as among the likely ground for the insanity allegations.

The allegations remain a subject of dispute to date, but most seem to agree that Ludwig was an eccentric figure, described as a shy, reclusive and fantasy-loving king. His deep fascination with medieval legends such as Lohengrin (the Swan Knight), Parzival and Tristan and Isolde — including Wagner’s interpretations of them — is evident in the rich murals, tapestries and interior designs of the castle’s 15 or so rooms and halls that were completed, out of more than 200 that had been originally planned.

Ludwig reportedly began building the castle in 1869 as his personal retreat from reality, after Bavaria and its then ally Austria were defeated by Prussia in the 1866 German War and Ludwig became a mere “vassal” to his Prussian uncle (Ludwig’s mother was from Prussia).

Ironically, just seven weeks after his death in 1886, which abruptly ended the construction project, the castle was opened to the public in order to pay off the king’s enormous debts.

The website neuschwanstein.de, which provides the aforementioned history of the castle and the “fairy tale” king, says it now draws 1.4 million visitors every year, including 6,000 people a day during summer.

The castle is open throughout the year, although in winter the opening hours are shorter and some spots like Marienbruecke are sometimes closed due to snowing.

Neuschwanstein is hardly the sole attraction in the area, but most tourists seem to largely abandon other features offered by the site, such as the nearby Hohenschwangau Castle — a neo-gothic summer residence built by Ludwig’s father King Maximilian II earlier in the 19th Century, and the newly opened Museum of the Bavarian Kings, which in the past was used to host guests of the royal hunting parties.

My favorite part of the visit lies outside the castle itself, namely the surrounding forests and the stunning Lake Alpsee, both of which were deprived of tourists when I explored them during my two-day stay in Fuessen last month. Their locations are easier to reach than the crowded castle.

The Lech River and the Alps in the background. (JG Photo/Erwida Maulia)

You can do the Alpsee round along the 5-kilometer shoreline through an old forest path on your bike or on foot, while enjoying the stunning view of the crystal clear, greenish-blue idyllic lake fed by the glaciers of the Alps.

It takes just a little more than an hour if you bike non-stop around the lake.

But be warned that some parts of the round can be fairly difficult terrain where you have to carry your bike rather than ride it.

Another interesting hiking trail is Kalvarienberg, which connects Hohenschwangau Castle and Fuessen by cutting through the forest just behind the castle before running by the length of Lake Schwansee.

In English the trail literally means “Swan Lake,” though I only saw a lone swan while walking by the lake.

The trail then cuts across green meadows occasionally grown with white or yellow wild flowers, with green pine trees sprouting out here and there and the breathtaking view of snow-covered Alps painting the background.

There are, in fact, a number of hiking trails around the two castles said to follow in the past “royal footsteps,” without much change to the original paths. These trails are equipped with clear signposts, so there should be no fear of getting lost.

Riding alongside the captivating light teal stream of Lech River to the nearby German-Austrian border is another unforgettable experience.

This journey was what made Fuessen the highlight of my Euro tour, despite the trip including some of the European town’s more popular counterparts such as Paris and Venice.